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Fumigation box, England, 1925-1935

Used within the London borough of Lambeth, this box was used to transport domestic material to a depot for fumigation during slum clearances or after disease outbreaks. Fumigation did not take place within the box, but it was fumigated after deliveries. Epidemics were increasingly rare during the early 1900s. However, diseases such as diphtheria, scarlet fever and measles still caused fatalities. These fumigation depots are indicative of the public health measures adopted by local government to control the spread of diseases.